A month ago, the west African country's ruling military junta revoked a security pact with Washington that had allowed US forces on its soil to help fight jihadist terrorism.
American officials had hoped that behind-the-scenes talks could salvage the 12-year-old agreement, which was thrown into jeopardy on 15 March when a junta spokesperson publicly declared the US military presence in Niger "illegal".
But the US finally admitted defeat after meetings in Washington this week between Kurt Campbell, the deputy secretary of state, and Niger's prime minister, Ali Lamine Zeine.
The withdrawal, expected to occur over the coming months, will mean the closure of a US drone facility, known as Base 201, near Agadez in the Sahara that was opened in 2019 at a cost of $110m (£89m).
Bu hikaye The Guardian dergisinin April 22, 2024 sayısından alınmıştır.
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Bu hikaye The Guardian dergisinin April 22, 2024 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Giriş Yap
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